After the video tutorial and the rules, now I'm waiting for the release of this game. Many sources say that this game should be published in April - but that's not 100% sure.

But when I look at it I want to play it so much. But I was thinking about htis game and I would like to see in it so places, enemies and characters.

What do You, all fans, think of this - will we see:

- Moria (it would be great to get a scenario or a pack of secenarios set in this Old Dwarf Mine)

- Balrog (nice main enemy in a Moria scenario)

- Uruk-hai (it would be great to see those as enemies)

- Saruman (now this is for me one of the main and very importent characters in Middle-earth)

- Isengard (if Saruman would be in the game than this location is a must)

**** the timeline, I wanna see Smaug.

For characters, I want Beorn the skin changer.

ffgfan said:

We will see Saruman and Uruk-hai for sure.Moria can be a place we will visite but as for Balrog i dont think so except if ffg wants to expand the scenarios and use Lotr events.

As for my self i want to see Galadriel,Radagast,the Eagles of Manwe,rangers of the North,Gondolin and maybe some events in the East helping Palando and Alatar.

**** you FFG release this game as soon as possible

We've already seen Glorfindel, so that would be my number one wish which will obviously be granted. I'd love to see Bombadil incorporated somehow into the game. It'd be neat if there was a way to do an adventure in and around Rivendell. I definitely want to see King Bard and Dale fleshed out as well. I'm hoping for Mirkwood that we get to see the Dol Guldor and the White Council, although if memory serves the timeline wouldn't match up.

I want to see the Balrog for sure.

And Minas Morgul would be cool too.

I want the Shire, the Old Forest, the Barrow-Downs, Bree, the Palantir of the White Towers, Forochel and Angmar.

The Balrog, Moria and Smaug would we really nice, but if I remember correctly the lcg's timeline is set somewhere between The Hobbit events and the Lord of the Ring events.

This would actually mean no balrog AND no smaug. For my part I don't care so much about a strict timeline though ;-) It would be nice to have further Adventure Pack cycles based on locations...especially some locations that are not given much attention in the books.

Depending on how flexible their license is they could possibly add in other elements, like a different Balrog. ICE did with the Middle Earth Roleplaying game and ME:CCG. They did a really good job of adding in elements that fit what was already there but filled in a gap. But I doubt that FFG's license is quite that flexible. At least its not tied down by the movies.

Regarding the Balrog, since the mines of moria obviously had been destroyed for a while and the timeline goes right up to the first book why wouldn't the balrog be available? You wouldn't be facing him as the fellowship but as another band of adventurers trying to make it through or out of the mine. I don't know much about the books so perhaps there is a reason.

I'm a fan of the rangers of the north, as well as Faramir's rangers in Osgiliath, so I'd love to see stuff involving them. It would be cool to eventually be able to play out the entire LoTR trilogy in quest form, maybe split into 9 or so quests that could be played over a period of time.

Darksbane said:

Promblem here is not the timeline.Balrog's first appearence is at the year 1980 of the third age and ffg can use Balrog in this game.

Question here is how and why?Only dawrves have a reason to enter Moria and not as a party but as an army who wants to reclaim Khazad-Dum.If ffg wants to add some random scenarios and let us pass through the mines how you can face a Balrog with some random heroes?Only Gandalf,Glorfindel and maybe Galadriel(i am not sure about this i still searching in the books if Galadriel's powers can match a Balrog) can match a Balrog and is almost sure that they must sucrifice their selfs to kill him.So whats the point of a scenario with some random heroes facing Balrog?They can only face him and die and i dont realy want to see some randon heroes like Eleanor ,Bilbo and Theodred facing Balrog and kill him.

But thats my personal taste about a game based on Tolkien.The real answer to your question is that ffg can use Balrog in this game.

Why do the heroes have to kill the Balrog, the only have to run for there lives (make it out of Moria in a certain number of rounds).

Frank6 said:

I was waiting this question to come .I think those who want to see Balrog in the game they want also to fight against him.Whats the point to have Balrog as a minion with stats and abilities if you can't fight him?

Also i think you can't escape from an ancient demon so easily .

I want to play Balin and take back Moria to Dwarf !!

Baruk Khazâd !

elyandel said:

Can i have a mithril coat if i ll help you?

hm...the more I think of it, the more I realize, that I actually have quite high hopes of the game to provide the opportunity to experience some other stuff than we already know from the novels.

We know the Balrog from the books already and he was even a minion in the TCG. So I wouldn't be overly sad to learn that there won't be a Balrog and that there won't be any Moria. I would really rejoice in being able to visit some other locations and explore some quests not directly to the lotr storyline. Also I think this is where most of the potential lies for the game.

However, as mentioned before it also depends on the license that ffg has, since that will strongly govern the possible directions of the game to take.

Apart from setting related wishes, I really hope that some new mechanics will be introduced later on, enhancing the game exprience and increasing replayability.

And another item for the wishlist: A fun singleplayer experience. I would just love it, if could also really enjoy this alone. I also really hope that the adventure packs will introduce a lot of storytelling elements, that make questing a fun experience!

A lot of wishes, lol...maybe some of them are already addressed in the core set?

faith_star83 said:

Oh ,you remember the text of the first Balrog?While you can spot the Balrog discard all other minions .Anyway Balrog without his artifacts wasn't realy a threat.Gandalf can cancel the skirmish with his staff and even Frodo can stand one attack with Bounder as an ally and if the next site is not an underground site you must discard Balrog.

In seven years of play i dont remember i 've ever faced a Balrog in a tournament.Troll was the first choise for Moria decks.

I also think that scouting Moria, even without fighting Balrog, would be very interesting. There should be a lot of hiding and fighting way out through swarms of orcs and some cave trolls.
Think that Gandalf had some bad feelings about Moria (our heroes told him something ), and Aragorn also made at least one trip through so fit perfectly.

In the same climat we could also see adventure sets related to:
- Angmar (previously visiting Bree, Barrow Downs and finishing around Carn Dum),
- Minas Morgul (with Cirith Ungol and Shelob’s Lair),
- Mount Gundabad (as part of travelling around Anduin river).

I think that Saruman (still pose as helper rather than black character) will be used as ally (one use like Gandalf) or “Nazgul from Dol Guldur” – whatever his abilities are.

Maybe quest for searching for lost Palantir’s from Annuminas and Amon Sul – vide ICE’s Palantir’s Quest.

Fighting with superopponents like Balrog, Smaug etc. is tempting but can lead to situations that they will have bigger characterisctics than usual enemies and that’s all.
Compering to Hill Troll how tough should be Balrog?? For me running from Moria will be much more interesting/frightening/exciting that fighting with enemy: attack: 15, defense: 15, hit points 20...
Higher than normal enemies will quckly lead to situation when we need to have cards that add more bonuses, so it ends in the point where in 10th adventure pack we will receive card - Folko (ally): similiar to Gandalf but draw 10 cards, discard 4 enemies, reduce threat by 15. It is sad but EVERY card game ends with something familiar – cards from later expansions are much more powerfull than from core/base set. It is sign that developers have no more ideas how to expand game other than increasing numbers.

I HOPE WE WILL NOT SEE THIS IN MELCG.

Would it be possible to launch one of those big expansions with The Hobbit complete story campaing, and they could start releasing adventure packs based on other stories of middle-earth

Wallenstein said:

This is true.Saruman's real strategy at that time was to find the One Ring and keep it for himself but he acts as an ally and he still is the leader of the White Council.

The notable absence from this game for now is...Rings. With the arrival of Bilbo and Gollum we will hopefully also see that magic ring of theirs appear in the first expansion cycle, and then future cycles will hopefully work towards the moment where it is revealed as the One.

Re: Balrog

A solution for the Balrog could be, not to make him a creature, but a treachery. Something like: when revealed sacrifice a hero. Would make sense, story-wise, wouldn't it. So better put "Fate or Fortune" into your deck

BeardFan said:

This is a very good idea.

I have one more solution.FFG can sell N/A and buy the rights for Silmarilion from Tolkien's son and then the joy is endless .We can have armies of Balrog fighting with elves,Beren and Luthien,Valars and Morgoth........

Ok i must wake up now .

servant of the secret fire said:

I saw the second one rarely - Moria usually had plenty of shadow to pay for some big hitter. You are right though, usually it was the Troll.